Ironing-machine



L. H. FREEMAN.

|RON|NG MACHINE.

' APPLICATION FILED .IULY 5, |912.

Patented Feb. 3,1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEET l.

y' e/ f L. H. FREEMAN.

|RON|NG MACHINE. APPucArloN mso JULY 5.1912.

` 1,329,519, f Patented Feb. 3; 1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2- L. H. FREEMAN.

IRONING MACHINE.

PPLICATION FILED JULY 5,1912.

1,329,519, Patented @1.31920y 5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

L. H. FREEMAN.

lIRONI'NG MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IuLY 5,'1912.

1,329,519. Patented Feb. 3,1920. l

ffif.

l.. H. FREEMAN.

IRONING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IuLY 5. I9I2.

1 329, 5 1 Patented Feb. 3, 1920.

5 SHEETSTSHEET 5.

wif-2255555.- l ZIN/527227Z'.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE. i

LADBROOK H. FREEMAN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS', TO THE FIRST TRUST &, SAVINGS COMIANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO, TRUSTEE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb.y 3, 1920.

Application filed July 5, 1912. Serial No. 707,886.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, LADBROOK II. FREE- MAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ironing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

rlhis invention relates to improvements in ironing machinery and particularly to that class of devices utilized in ironing shirts and waists. l

More specifically the inventionrelates to mechanism for adjusting the position of the movable ironing chest or member to the ironing board and neck band former, the operation fleeing performed automatically by the location of the ironingl plate upon the work.

rlhe invention may be further briefly summarized as consisting in the construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth in the following description, drawings and claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine provided with my device; Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the supports of the movable ironing chest; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a portion of the mechanism; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the same portion of the mechanism; Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the wedges which control the movement of the movable ironing chest; Fig. 6 is a section upon the line 6 6 of Fig. 4 looking to the right with the chest raised; Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the bosom stretcher; Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the same; Fig. 9 is an end view with parts broken away; Fig. 10 is a section upon the line 10-10 of Fig. 7 looking to the left; Fig. 11 is a top plan view of a neck band former shown on a portion of a chest with the top plate removed and with parts broken away; Fig. 12 is a similar view with the forward portion of the neck band former eX- tended, and with the top plate broken away at several points; Fig. 13 is a. sectional View on the line 18-13 of Fig. 11 looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 14 is a front elevation; and Fig. 15 is a section upon the line 15-15 0f Fig. 11 looking in the direction of the arrows.

In carrying out the invention any pre-l ferred forni and construction of parts may be employed so long as they possess the` on@J form and construction in the drawings which 1s highly effective 1n operation, and 1n such embodiment 1 represents the frame which is provided with an ironing board` suitable yoke ironer 9 coperates. MountedV on the ironing board near the yoke end is a neck band former of any preferred construction but having its forward curved portion movable for the Various sizes of neck bands as will later appear. Coperating with this ironing board is ironing chest mechanism comprising a supporting member 11 provided with rearwardly extending brackets 12 provided with trunnions 13 mounted in the socket 6. This supporting member 11 is provided at its side edges with downwardly extending flangesl provided near each end with pins 14. carrying rollers 15, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and engaging nnder flanges 16 carried by the ironing chest 17 which is slidably mounted within the ironing chest supporting member 11. It will be seen from the foregoing construction that the ironing chest 17 may slide freely in a longitudinal direction in its support and upon the rollers 15. The ironing chest is provided near its back end with a curved recess sho-wn at 18 to receive the neck band former, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and this curved portion extends out to the end of the chest with straight side portions 19, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. Above the neck band former, however, the ironing chest is provided with iiat portions'QO having secured to them a yoke 21 provided with a cam 22 and a square end portion 23. This latter portion being shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4.

In order to position the ironing chest with respect to the ironing board and the neck band former, it is necessary that the curved edge of the recess 18 be properly located, so that when the ironing chest comes down upon the work the edge of the chest will miss the forward edge of the neck band former and yet will be near to this edge so that heat will be conveyed to the bosom near the neck band. This mechanism is under the control of the ironing plate and the con struction will now be described.

Pivotally secured to a stationary part of the machine and on both sides there are two arms 24. These arms are pivoted at the upper ends to brackets 25 rigidly secured to an ironing plate 26 which is of the usual construction and is provided with a recess 27 for receiving the neck band former. The recess is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. Pivotally secured to the upper ends of the arms 24 is another yoke 29 pivoted to a pin 30 rigidly secured at its upper end in the bottom of a sliding bar 3l mounted in a suitable bearing support 32 preferably cast so as to form a part of the supporting brackets 5. The upper face of this sliding bar 31 is eut away at 33 so as to form a wedge of the bar. The forward end of this bar is bifurcated to form ears 34 to receive between them a friction roller 35. The sliding bar 3l and the roller 35 are supported in a manner such that the roller lies in the path of the cam 22. It will be seen from the foregoing construction that as the ironing plate 26 is manipulated upon the bosom of the shirt and the front edge of the recess is brought against the front face of the neck band. the roller 85 will be properly positioned to cause the ironing" chest to be camried out so that the edge of its neck band recess will pass the forward edge of the neck band former and will come to a state of rest upon the ironing board in the proper relationship with respect to the neck band former.

Tu order to hold the sliding bar and its Jfriction roller 35 in any adjusted position a suitable lock is provided. and it comprises a sli/ling wedge 36 mounted in a bearing 37 arranged tansverselv with respect to the bearing This wedge has a fiat face 3S eeneratino' with the face The bearing 3T has a shoulder 39. shown in dotted lines in Fie; 8. to receive the thrust of a spring- 40. shown in dotted lines .in Fig. 3, and bearing against the wedge 36, the tendency heimr for the wedge to engage the sliding bar 3l and slip in above it and hold it in anv position in which it is adjusted so that from the `description of the sliding bar 3l and its action with respect to the ironing chest it will be seen that when the ironing plate adiusts the sliding bar and the frietion roller 85. the wedge 36 slides in above the bar 3l and holds it in any adjusted position. Y

.Tt is essential that the sliding bar 31 should be released upon the final upward movement of the ironing chest, and this is broiwht about bv means of a lever 41 rionnted upon a pin 42 secured in one of the brackets 5, as shown in Figs. .3 and 4 as well as in Fig. 6. This lever has a tail portion 43 extending down to a point where it may engage a cam 44 mounted upon the side face and near the periphery of the main driving gear 4, the cam being so' positioned upon the gear that when the ironing chest is up the cam engages the tail portion of the lever and shifts it so as to push the wedge 36 back in its bearing against the tension of the spring 40 so that the sliding bar 31 may be moved freely by the ironing plate 2G.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that when a shirt is placed upon the bosom board and the neck band former is adjusted to fill the neck band and the operator moves the ironing plate down upon the article with the neck band recess in the ironing plate in engagement with the forward curved portion of the neck band, the parts already described will adjust the final position of the ironing chest in such a manner that the curved edge of the ironing chest at the neck baud recess will move down to the proper position and engage the bosom close to the neck band at all times and irrespective of the size of the neck band.

Mechanisn is also provided for stretching the bosom over the ironingrboard, and it comprises a bracket 45 secured to the front face of the ironing board support 2 as shown in Fig. l. This bracket 45 has outwardly extending bearing portions 46 and 47, the portion 47 being long enough to eX- tend to a point at one side of the ironing board and there provided with a friction disk 4S, for a purpose to be described. The inner face of the bearing 46 is provided with a pin 49 for a purpose to be described. Rotatablv mounted in these bearings 46 and 47 is a shaft 50 having keyed to it between the two bearings a mutilated gear 5l which meshes with another mutilated gear 52 mounted upon a shaft 53 pivoted in a bearing 54 forming a part of a stretcher bracket 55 provided with a bifurcated bearing portion 56 loosely mounted upon the shaft 50. The stretching bracket is'provided with a recessed stretcher portion 57 arranged transversely with respect to the ironing board and extending across the front. as shown in Fig. 1. Coperating with this member is a clamping roller 58 covered with rubber and mounted in a frame 59 which extends about the bracket and to' the rear thereof and is swiveled by means of a suitable bearing 60 upon the shaft 50. This frame 59 is provided with a cam portion 6l adapted to coperate with a cam 62 secured on the end of the shaft 53. A spring 63 is arranged between the bracket and the stationary bracket 45 and normally tends to draw the bracket 55 inward toward the end of the ironing board and this inward movement is 1limited by a shoulder 64 forming a part of the bracket and engaging the pin 49. This www.

shoulder is shown in top` plan in Fig. 8 and is shown in side elevation in Fig. 9. The shaft 50 is manipulated by a suitable lever keyed to the shaft and having a boss 66 provided with a threaded opening in radial alinement with Ythe periphery of thev disk 48. Threadedin the opening of the boss 66 is a rod 67 provided with a hand grip 68 at its upper and with a shoe 69 at its lower end for engagement upon the periphery of the friction disk 48.

The arrangement of this part of the mechanism is such that when the shirt is being placed upon the machine the forward skirt portion is drawn down over the transverse member 57 when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 9. The operator then rotates the rod 67 to release the shoe 69 from engagement with the friction disk and pulls forward upon this rod with the result that the lever 65 is rocked in a counter clockwise direction, as shown in Figs. 1, 9 and 10, causing the shaft 50 to be rotated. and likewise the gear 51. The rotation of the gear 51, however, rotates the gear 52 in a clockwise direction, causing the cam 62 to engage the cam portion 61 of the frame 59, causing the roller 58 to be brought up snugly against the transverse stretching member 57 of the bracket 55. When this clamping operation has taken place, the further forward movement of the rod 67 of the lever 65 causes the frame 59 as well as the bracket 55 to be moved forward or to be rocked in a counterclockwise direction, as shown in Figs. 1, 9 and 10, with the result that the bosom is stretched over the ironing board. Upon the rotation of the red 67 bv means of the hand grip 68, the parts are locked in this position by the engagement of the friction shoe 69 with the periphery of the friction disk. To release the device the operator rotates-the rod 67 to withdraw the shoe 69 and the parts are returned to normal position, the clamp being opened b-v the eXtreme forward movement of these parts.

Anv adiustable type of neck band former mav be utilized. but I have shown one form in Figs. 11 to 15 inclusive, which is adapted for use with the machine, and it will now be described.

Proiecting upward from the neck band end of the ironing board 7 is a boss 7 0 having a rectangular recess 71 therein for the reception of a cleat 72 rigidlv secured in any suitable manner to a neck band former base plate 73. This base plate is of a configuration corresponding to that of the neck band former when completely collapsed, and in the embodiment shown it is of the well known Manhattan shape. This base plate is provided at its center with a T-shaped guiding strip 74 which forms a. guide for the forward curved portion of the neck band former as. will @prees This ,bas-e plate is further provided near its back cornersV4 with transversely extending cleats or guides i7 5 for the foot portions as will be described. Slidably mounted upon the base plate is the forward curved portion 76 of I l74 as shown in dotted line in Fig. 14, and

the arrangement is such that the forward curved portion may slide back and forth freely upon this guide and upon the base plate. The forward curved portion 7 1s provided at its upper surface with two diagonally disposed recesses 79 each of which receives a guide bar 80, on the end of which is a foot portion 81, adapted to nest in one of the recesses 77 of the forward c urved portion when the neck band former is collapsed. Each of these foot portions is provided with a recess 82 for engagement with the corresponding cleat or guide 75. Each of the guide bars is provided on its 1nner edge with teeth 83 forming a rackat this point and the two racks mesh with intermeshing gears 84 and 85, mounted in suitable recesses 86 and 87 upon pins'88 and 89 respectively, the pin 88 extending upward fory a purpose to be described. Mounted in a suitable recess in the upper surface of the forward curved portlon is a latch 90 supported upon a pin 91 and adapted to be engaged by a spring 92 which forces the end of the latch into engagement with a ratchet wheel secured tothe gear 87. Arranged upon the top of the forward curved portion is a cover plate 93 having suitable openings therein for permitting the passage of the shaft 88 and the pin 91 and this plate holds the several parts of the neck band former in place. Secured to the upper end of the shaft 88 is a finger piece 94. Secured to the upper end of the pin 91 is a finger piece 95.

In using the press with this type of neck band former the operator starts with the parts of the former in collapsed position or that shown in Fig. 11; the shirt is then placed upon the board, with a button in the neck band, and the neck band former is eri-- larged by removing the latch 90 and inanipulating the gears through the nger piece 94 until the neck band is completely stretched or extended; the latch is then released and the neck band former held in this position. The operator then straightens out the front of the shirt and fastens the skirt in the skirt stretcher at the forward end of the board. Then the ironing plate is brought down upon the bosom and leaved alla! the Curve ,of .the plateI engages the forward curved portion of the neck band former. The positioning of the plate, however, has brought about such an adjustment of the roller 35, through the mechanism already described, that when the chest is lowered, the edge of the chest at the neck band :former recess will just miss the forward curved portion of the neck band former and engage the plate' close to this forward curved portion.

Having described my claim z* 1. In an ironing press, an ironing board adapted to receive a shirt bosom and neck band, a relatively movable ironing chest having a neck band recess, means for automatically adjusting the chest to bring its neck band recess in proper position with respect to the neck band when the press is closed, and means for closing the press.

2. In an ironing press, an ironing board, means upon the board for holding the neck band upright upon the board, a' relatively movable ironing chest having a recess for the neck band, means for closing the press, and means for automatically adjusting the ironing chest to bring its neck band recess in proper position to receive the neck band.

3. In an ironing press, an ironing board, a relatively movable ironing chest having a neck band former recess, a neck band former carried by the ironing board, and means for automatically adjusting the ironing chest with its neck band former recess in proper position with respect to the neck band former upon the ironing board.

t. In an ironing press, an ironing board, a neck band former mounted thereon, an ironing chest movable with respect to the ironing board, means for adjusting the neck band former to various sizes of neck bands, and means for automatically adjusting the ironing chest to the neck band former and upon the ironing board.

5. In an ironing press, an ironing board, a neck band former mounted thereon and comprising a stationary part and a forward p ortion movable for adjustment to various sizes of neck bands`r a cooperating member for ironing upon said board adjacent to the neck band former, and means cooperating with the neck band former for adjusting said member with respect to the neck band former.

6. In an ironing press, a stationary ironing` board, a neck band former mounted thereon, means for adjusting the neck band former to various sizes ol' neck bands, a movable ironing chest having a recess therein for receiving the neck band ormer, and means for automatically adjusting the position of the ironing chest so that the edge of the recess will engage close to the edge of the neck band operated upon.

` 7. In an ironing press, a stationary ironinvention, I

ing board, a neck band former mounted thereon, means for adjusting the neck band former to various sizes of neck bands, an ironing chest movable with respect to the ironing board, an ironing plate adapted to receive the neck band former, and mea-ns operated by the ironing plate for adjusting the ironing chest to the various adjustments of the neck band former.

8. In an ironing press, a stationary ironing board, a neck band former mounted thereon, means for adjusting the neck band former, an ironing chest having a neck band former recess, an ironing plate, suitable mechanism between the ironing plate and the ironing chest whereby upon the adjustment of the ironing plate to the neck band former, the ironing chest will assume the proper position upon the ironing board with respect to the neck band former.

9. In an ironing press, an ironing board, a neck band former mounted thereon comprising a stationary part and a forward portion adjustable to various sizes of neck bands, an ironing plate having a portion for receiving the movable portion of the neck band former, and mechanism under the control of the ironing plate adapted to engage the ironing chest and adjust the same with respect to the neck band former.

10. In an ironing press, an ironing board, a neck band former mounted thereon, means for adjusting the neckband former, an ironing chestsupport movably mounted, an ironing chest movable on said support, and means for automatically adjusting the ironing chest with respect to the neck band former.

11. In an ironing press, an ironing board, a neck band former mounted thereon, means for adjusting the neck band former, an ironing chest support movably mounted, an ironing chest movable on said support, an ironing plate, and means operated by the ironing plate for adjusting the ironing chest with respect to the neck band former.

12. In an ironing press, an ironing board, an adjustable neckband former mounted thereon, an ironing chest support movable relative to said board, a chest movable on said support and provided with a neckband recess, an adjustable member mounted Jfor engagement with a portion of the ironing chest during relative movement of the chest support and ironing board, andvmeans c0- operating with an adjustable portion of the neckband former for locating said adjustable member to thereby produce proper ironing relation between the neckband former and recess when the press is closed. i

18. In an ironing press, an ironing board, a neckband former mounted thereon, means for adjusting the neckband former, an iron ing chest support movably mounted, an ironing'chest movable on said support, a cam carried by the ironing chest, a slidable member for engagement with said cam, and means coperating with an adjustable portion of the neckband former for locating the slidable member to engage the cam and thereby adj ust the ironing chest to the neckband former.

14. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a board for supporting an article to be operated upon by the machine, of an adjustable form projecting from the surface of said board, a member adapted to press the article supported on the surface of said board and having a recess therein to receive said form, mechanism for relatively moving said board and member into coperative pressing relation with the form registering with the recess in said member, means for adjusting said form, and means coperating with an adjustable portion` of said form to control the relative positions 'of said board and member in their final pressing relation.

15. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a board for supporting an article to be operated upon by the machine, of an adjustable form projecting from the surface of said board, a member adapted to press the article supported on the surface of said board and having a recess therein to receive said form, mechanism for relatively moving said board and member into coperative pressing relation with the form registering with the recess in said member, means for adjusting said form, and means cooperating with an adjustable portion of said form to determine the position of a portion of said mechanism to thereby maintain proper registration of the form and recess in any adjusted position of the form.

16. In an ironing press, an ironing board, a neckband former thereon, means for adjusting the neckband former to various sizes of neckbands, an ironing chest having a neckband recess, means coperating with the adjustable portion of the neckband former to effect proper ironing relation of the chest and neckband former, and means for producing relative movement of the ironing chest and board.

17. In an ironing press, an ironing board, a neckband former thereon having a movable portion and a fixed portion, a movable ironing chest having a neckband recess, means coperating with the movable portion of the neckband former to effect adjustment `of the chest to properly position'the neckband recess with respect to the neckband former, and means for producing relative movement of the ironing board and chest.

18. In an ironing press, an ironing board, a neckband former thereon having a movable portion and a fiXed portion, a movable ironing chest having a neckband former re` cess, suitable mechanism arranged between the movable portion of the neckband former and the chest for bringing about the adjustment of the recess in the chest to the neckband former on the ironing board, and means for bringing about a relative movement of the ironing board and ironing chest.

19. In an ironing press, an ironing board, a neckband former thereon having'a movable portion and a Xed portion, a movable ironing chest having a neckband former recess, suitable mechanism controlled by the movable portion of the neckband former and coperating with the chest for bringing about the adjustment of the recess in the chest to the neckband former on the ironing board, and means for bringing about a relative movement of the ironing board and ironing chest.

20. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a board for supporting an article to be operated upon by the machine, of a form projecting from the surface of said board and having an adjustable forward portion, a member adapted to press the article supported on the surface of said board and having a recess therein to receive said form, mechanism for relatively moving said board and member into coperating pressing relation with the forward portion of the form registering with the recess in said member, means for adjusting said form, and means whereby the adjustment of the forward portion of said form controls the relative positions of said board and member in their final pressing relation.

In testimony whereof I affix my signatureV 

